Rugby club Leeds Rhinos remains "the most profitable" in Super League despite last season's "hugely disappointing campaign," according to the YORKSHIRE EVENING POST. Team owner Leeds Cricket, Football & Athletic Company Ltd. published its annual accounts for the '16 season, with the club "once again making a six-figure profit in the face of what turned out to be a challenging year on and off the pitch." The previous season, '15, had been a "record-breaking year" for the Rhinos. The "combination of losing influential players to retirement," long-term injuries to many players and the loss of the use of the training ground and facilities for a long period due to flooding proved "sizeable hurdles to overcome." Despite "all this adversity, the accounts show that it was the sixth consecutive season the club has made a profit" and the 13th time in 15 years. Operationally, turnover in '16 fell by 13.47%, "in the main due to the absence of significant prize money" and the level of retail sales during the previous year. Corporate sales "enjoyed another good year" and the World Club Challenge generated a "one off" source of income similar to the int'l friendly against New Zealand the previous year (YORKSHIRE EVENING POST, 8/9).
